Permanent
Subclass 101
Offshore Child
- Your child must be outside Australia when you lodge and when the visa is decided.
- Sponsored by an Australian parent or their partner.
- Permanent residence, Medicare and a citizenship pathway.
Secure Your Child's Future With a Child Visa Australia
Three pathways, one goal reuniting your family: Subclass 101 if your child is overseas, Subclass 802 if they are already in Australia, and Subclass 445 if you are adding them to your partner visa application.
Get your child's pathway assessed by a MARA-registered agent.
Start Here: What a Child Visa Gives Your Family?
An Australian child visa is a family migration visa that lets a dependent child live in Australia with their parents. The child must be sponsored by a parent who is an Australian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Eligible for New Zealand citizenship.
Not Sure Your Child Qualifies?
Which Child Visa Should You Apply For?
It comes down to two things: where your child is right now, and how old they are. Pick the wrong subclass, and you can lose months of processing time, and if your child has a birthday coming, months are exactly what you do not have. Find your child's situation below, then open that subclass for the full eligibility, cost, and application details.
Permanent
Subclass 802
Onshore Child
- Child is already in Australia at application.
- Sponsored by an Australian parent or their partner.
- Permanent residence, Medicare, and a citizenship pathway.
On/Offshore · Temporary
Subclass 445
Dependent Child
- Adds a dependent child to a parent's pending partner visa.
- Temporary bridges to permanent residence with the parent.
- Grants lawful stay, work, and study while the partner visa is decided.
Offshore · Permanent
Subclass 102
Adoption
- Child adopted, or being adopted, by an Australian parent overseas.
- Adoption must meet Australian and overseas legal rules.
- Permanent residence, Medicare and a citizenship pathway.
Offshore · Permanent
Subclass 117
Orphan Relative
- Child whose parents cannot care for them, sponsored by a relative.
- Child must be under 18 and unmarried.
- Permanent residence, Medicare, and a citizenship pathway.
Five subclasses, one right answer for your child. Choose wrong, and you can lose months your child's age can't spare. That's exactly what the call is for.
Gather These Before You Lodge: 2026 Checklist
A complete, well-organised file is the single biggest thing you control. Use this child visa Australia document checklist for 2026 to gather everything before you lodge. Most applications are submitted online through ImmiAccount, and incomplete evidence is the most common cause of avoidable delays.
Identity & relationship
- Child's birth certificate naming the sponsoring parent
- Child's current passport (photo page)
- Family registration/household record, where applicable
- Adoption order, if the child was adopted
Sponsor (the parent)
- Australian citizenship certificate, PR evidence, or passport
- Evidence of the parents' relationship to the child
Dependency (children aged 18+)
- Enrolment + full-time study evidence (for 18–25 students)
- Financial-dependency proof – money transfers, shared expenses, support history
- Medical evidence of disability, if relying on the disability ground
Consent of the other parent
- Form 1229 – consent to grant a visa to a child under 18, signed by the non-migrating parent
- Or a court custody order showing sole custody
- Or the other parent's death certificate, if applicable
Forms & lodgement
- Form 47CH – Application for migration to Australia by a child
- Form 40CH – Sponsorship for a child to migrate to Australia
- Most applications are lodged online via ImmiAccount
Health & character
- Panel-doctor medical examination (when requested by Home Affairs)
- Police clearances for any child aged 16+, from each country lived in for 12+ months
How Much Does a Child Visa Cost?
The cost of a child visa is built mainly from the government Visa Application Charge (VAC). On top of that are a few supporting expenses: health checks, police clearances, and document translation. The VAC is indexed every 1 July, so the same application costs more the longer it waits.
| Visa subclass | Base Application Charge | Additional Applicant Charge 18 And Over | Additional Applicant Charge Under 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass 101 | AUD 4,040 | AUD 2,020 | AUD 1,015 |
| Subclass 802 | AUD 4,040 | AUD 2,020 | AUD 1,015 |
| Subclass 445 | AUD 4,040 | AUD 2,020 | AUD 1,015 |
| Subclass 102 | AUD 4,040 | AUD 2,020 | AUD 1,015 |
| Subclass 117 | AUD 2,475 | AUD 1,235 | AUD 625 |
Your child's eligibility is tied to a birthday, and the fee rises every 1 July. Find out where your family stands today.
How Long Does It Take for a Child Visa in Australia?
Processing time depends on the subclass and on how complete your application is. Permanent child visas (101 and 802) are generally slower than the temporary 445. Subclass 102 Adoption visa is faster than Subclass 117 Orphan Relative visa. These times shift through the year as application volumes and program planning levels change.
| Visa | 50% processed | 90% processed |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 101 Child (offshore) | 20 Months | 30 Months |
| Subclass 802 Child (onshore) | 20 Months | 29 Months |
| Subclass 445 Dependent Child (temporary) | 24 Months | 30 Months |
| Subclass 102 Adoption visa | 6 Months | 15 Months |
| Subclass 117 Orphan Relative visa | 81 Months | 99 Months |
Sponsoring Your Child? Here's What You Take On
As the parent, you are both the sponsor and the decision-maker in this application. You complete Form 40CH to sponsor your child, and you typically complete Form 47CH, the visa application, on behalf of your minor child.
Good to know:
Unlike the Parent Visa (subclass 864), there is no Assurance of Support bond and no 10-year sponsor financial commitment for child visas, so the cost and obligations on you are far lighter.
Your child's eligibility has a deadline
A child visa is tied to your child's age. After 18, they only keep qualifying while they're a full-time student and financially dependent on you and that pathway usually closes at 25. Visa Application Charges also rise every 1 July, so the same application costs more the longer it waits. Lodging early protects both.
What happens if a child visa is refused?
A refused child visa can usually be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). This body replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 2024. The time limit to apply is short, and your refusal letter states it. Read that letter the day it arrives.
A refusal is frightening. It is not always the end of the matter. It does mean the clock is running.
Who lodges the review
This depends on where your child was when the decision was made.
Onshore refusal (Subclass 802):
- the applicant in Australia normally lodges the review.
Offshore refusal (Subclass 101, 102 or 117):
- a person outside Australia usually cannot lodge it themselves. The sponsor or nominator in Australia normally lodges it instead.
That second point catches families out. If your child is overseas and the refusal arrives, the deadline belongs to you, not to them.
Our guide to visa refusal appeal processing times explains what happens once a review is lodged, and how long tribunal matters tend to take.
Refused, and the clock is already running?
For a child overseas, the review deadline is yours, not theirs, and it's short. Talk to a MARA agent within days, not weeks.
Why Families Choose The Migration
Since 2018, The Migration has helped families reunite their children in Australia through the child visa program. Our work is led by a MARA-registered Migration Agent, and our team supports clients in five languages, so even the most complex case is handled in the language you are most comfortable with.
Child migration is rarely straightforward; the right subclass, a child's age, consent from another parent, and the strength of your evidence can each decide whether an application succeeds. That is exactly where our experience makes the difference.
Subclass selection
choosing correctly between 101, 802, 445, 102 and 117.
Age-out & dependency strategy
protecting children approaching 18 (or 25 for students).
Other-parent consent
Form 1229 and custody evidence.
Onshore 802 bridging
keeping your child lawful on a BVA.
Offshore 101 lodgement
evidence packages that pass first time.
Adopted & step-children
Hague Convention and blended-family cases.
Frequently asked questions
Nothing, as long as you lodged before the birthday. Age is assessed at the date of application, not at grant. What matters is that the facts you relied on stay true. A child who was studying full-time at lodgement should still be studying full-time when it's decided.
Usually yes, if they have a legal right to your child's custody. Consent normally goes on Form 1229. Where the other parent won't sign or can't be found, a court order granting sole parental responsibility may satisfy the requirement instead. So may a death certificate.
Around 20 to 30 months for the 101 and 802, as of September 2026. Adoption visas (102) are faster at 6 to 15 months. Orphan Relative visas (117) run to 81 and 99 months. Lodging a complete application is the only part of that timeline you control.
Yes, where the adoption is legally recognised under Australian law and the law of the child's home country, and was finalised before you lodge. You'll need adoption orders and court records. Most of these cases run through the Subclass 102 rather than the 101.
The sponsoring parent lodges Form 40CH, and the child's application goes in on Form 47CH, both through ImmiAccount. Health checks and police clearances come later, when Home Affairs asks for them. Get certified translations for anything not in English before you start.
Book Your Child Visa Strategy Session
MARA-registered migration agent maps your child's fastest path; or tells you straight if the timing's too tight.